"AAP Played Big Role In Gujarat Loss": Poll In-Charge Ashok Gehlot To NDTV

The Aam Aadmi Party played a "big role" in Congress's poor show in the recently concluded Gujarat Assembly elections, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot told NDTV today. Alleging that AAP "lies everywhere it goes," Mr Gehlot, who was the grand old party's election in-charge in Gujarat, said AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal "did a lot of damage".

He also attributed the BJP's massive win to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's enthusiastic campaigning. "The PM campaigned for three months, held several rallies. That was also a reason," Mr Gehlot said, admitting that Congress was also lacking in its poll campaign.

Ashok Gehlot also cited funding as one of the factors in the Congress's poor show. "Electoral bonds are a huge scandal. BJP gets unilateral funding through it, as those who donate to Congress are threatened," he said.

Mr Gehlot's comments come just days after the BJP trounced main rival Congress with a historic win in Gujarat, which it has retained for the seventh consecutive term.

AAP, which put all its energy in its Gujarat campaign after losing deposits on all seats it contested in the 2017 Assembly polls, had claimed it was the main rival to the BJP and would form the government. It did manage to get a foot in the door, but fell way short of its lofty ambitions.

The BJP won 156 out of the total 182 seats, the best seat tally for any political party in Gujarat's electoral history, beating Congress' 37-year-old record of 149 seats in the 1985 elections. Until now, the BJP's best seat tally was 127 in the 2002 polls.

Congress, with just 17 seats, saw a major loss of fortunes from it 2017 tally of 77. This is Congress's lowest seat tally in Gujarat; its previous low was 33 seats in the 1990 elections.

After the dismal performance, Congress is likely to lose the Leader of Opposition position in the new Assembly.